On Saturday April 27th The Dutch Centre in the City of London will kick-off their weekend celebrations of their King’s Birthday at 2pm with a street fair for and by children, as well as Dutch games and activities and bright orange lemonade.
The event will be held outside the Dutch Church in the City of London where there’s plenty of space for lots of blankets for the children to sell their goods. There’s also space for the musicians amongst the kids to perform. £5 stamp cards that you can buy on the day itself will give young Londoners the opportunity to participate in various activities such as a scavenger hunt in and around the church, sjoelbakken, sack-race, stroopwafel-biting and other classic Dutch games.
Less classic and more modern is the life-size Tony Chocoloneley Twister game which the Dutch chocolate maker is contributing especially for this joyful day.
While outside is one big party, inside it’s all about King’s Day as well. The Koning Willem Fonds is organising an art auction ‘Art in the City’, with all proceeds going to Dutch people in need in the UK, who are being supported by the Koning Willem Fonds. Pieces which have already come in and will be auctioned are, amongst others, a painting by Tony Krikhaar, a tasting plate for tableware of Her Majesty Princess Beatrix, and a nineteenth century edition of Shakespeare. For more information about the auction, auction items and the charity itself can be found on www.koningwillemfonds.org.uk.
Vereniging Neerlandia will provide coffee with apple pie, orange bitter or perhaps some herring are available at the bar inside the church. You will also find Vereniging Neerlandia selling a variety of Dutch delicacies and books.
We will of course end King’s Day with a party and a few drinks! Between 17.00 and 21.00 there’ll be live music in the Dutch Centre with Dutch songs, free bitterballen, Dutch cheese and oranjebitter. Downstairs we’ll show a children’s movie between 17.00 and 18.00, so that the adults upstairs can chat and have a few drinks whilst looking back on a great King’s Day. The evening part is free of charge
King’s Day 2019 takes place on April 27th at the Dutch Centre 7 Austin Friars
London EC2N 2HA
King’s Day Schedule
Saturday 27 April
13:30-14:00: Set-up of the street fair blankets and stalls
14.00-17.30: Street fair and activities in and around the Dutch Church / Dutch Centre
15:45-16:00: Toast by Dutch Ambassador Simon Smits
16.00-17.00: ‘Art in the City’ auction Koning Willem Fonds
17.00-21.00: King’s Party in the Dutch Church / Dutch Centre